“See which flavor you like and I’ll have it for you/come on in to my store, I’ve got candy galore,” are the opening lyrics of the song “Candy Shop,” from Madonna’s 11th studio album, Hard Candy, which has proven to be a hit amongst both critics and fans alike. Released on April 29th, Madonna has used this album to collaborate with such prominent acts as Timbaland, Danjahandz, Pharrell Williams, Justin Timberlake, and Kanye West, displaying a plethora of fresh catchy and innovative sounds, while still remaining true to her classic roots. On the chart-busting “4 Minutes,” featuring Mr. Timberlake himself, Madge and JT sing an upbeat “We’ve only got four minutes to save the world,” referring to the length of the single. The song “Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You,” co-written by Timberlake, resembles that of Justin’s former hit “What Goes Around…Comes Around,” an enticing invitation to the remainder of the album. Although Madonna clearly uses such collaborations to keep her image current and up to date, the teamwork proves to be engaging and interesting. Not only does the album have a modern sound, but audiences are familiar with the works of counterparts Timbaland and Danja, thus helping to improve upon the album’s quality. Among the other good songs on Hard Candy is the song “Give It 2 Me,” which declares Madonna’s wild persistence as the ‘material girl’ that we all know and love through lyrics such as “Give me the bassline and I’ll shake it/Give me a record and I’ll break it.” The song “She’s Not Me” proclaims her reign as the queen of pop when she sings, “She’s not me/She doesn’t have my name/She’ll never have what I have/It won’t be the same.” Furthermore, the songs “Heartbeat” and “Incredible” demonstrate Madge’s ability to pen a good dance song, while the songs “Miles Away” and “Dance Tonight” tone things down to a slow, but steady beat. Admittedly, I find Hard Candy to be more enjoyable than her last album Confessions On A Dance Floor, but both sound relatively similar. Although her new image proves entertaining, nothing can top her 80’s persona as the “virgin bride,” rolling around seductively on the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards. It is expected that Madonna will tour in honor of Hard Candy, so I encourage you to go pick up her new album, whether it be the regular version, or the deluxe version that features the bonus track “Ring My Bell” as well as remixes of the songs “4 Minutes” and “Give It 2 Me.” And if you’re lucky enough, grab some tickets to any of her upcoming shows. I promise she won’t disappoint. By Dani Moore “See which flavor you like and I’ll have it for you/come on in to my store, I’ve got candy galore,” are the opening lyrics of the song “Candy Shop,” from Madonna’s 11th studio album, Hard Candy, which has proven to be a hit amongst both critics and fans alike. Released on April 29th, Madonna has used this album to collaborate with such prominent acts as Timbaland, Danjahandz, Pharrell Williams, Justin Timberlake, and Kanye West, displaying a plethora of fresh catchy and innovative sounds, while still remaining true to her classic roots. On the chart-busting “4 Minutes,” featuring Mr. Timberlake himself, Madge and JT sing an upbeat “We’ve only got four minutes to save the world,” referring to the length of the single. The song “Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You,” co-written by Timberlake, resembles that of Justin’s former hit “What Goes Around…Comes Around,” an enticing invitation to the remainder of the album. Although Madonna clearly uses such collaborations to keep her image current and up to date, the teamwork proves to be engaging and interesting. Not only does the album have a modern sound, but audiences are familiar with the works of counterparts Timbaland and Danja, thus helping to improve upon the album’s quality. Among the other good songs on Hard Candy is the song “Give It 2 Me,” which declares Madonna’s wild persistence as the ‘material girl’ that we all know and love through lyrics such as “Give me the bassline and I’ll shake it/Give me a record and I’ll break it.” The song “She’s Not Me” proclaims her reign as the queen of pop when she sings, “She’s not me/She doesn’t have my name/She’ll never have what I have/It won’t be the same.” Furthermore, the songs “Heartbeat” and “Incredible” demonstrate Madge’s ability to pen a good dance song, while the songs “Miles Away” and “Dance Tonight” tone things down to a slow, but steady beat. Admittedly, I find Hard Candy to be more enjoyable than her last album Confessions On A Dance Floor, but both sound relatively similar. Although her new image proves entertaining, nothing can top her 80’s persona as the “virgin bride,” rolling around seductively on the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards. It is expected that Madonna will tour in honor of Hard Candy, so I encourage you to go pick up her new album, whether it be the regular version, or the deluxe version that features the bonus track “Ring My Bell” as well as remixes of the songs “4 Minutes” and “Give It 2 Me.” And if you’re lucky enough, grab some tickets to any of her upcoming shows. I promise she won’t disappoint. Posted By Dani Moore